Refrigerating apparatus



H. B. HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets--Sheet l Filed April 25,1950 dlllIIIlIllh ,llllllllllllnul A TTORNE Y BY Wav-7 sept. 9, 1930.

Sept 9, 1930- H. B. HULL 1,775,492

REFRIGERATING PBARATUS Filed April 25; 19:50 s sheets-sheet 2 asm; f3.ZIINVITOR AIIIRNEY Sept. 9, 1930. H. B. HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS ssheets-sheet s Filed April 25, 1930 :na/il Vf/ffy 57 54 50 14 244,8.,147/5 V 0R VZ 5:` BY w #k /7 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFlcE HARRY B. HULL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO.4FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE iREFRIGERATING 'APBAR-ATUS Application led April 25,

' 15 sound produced within the enclosure.

Another object of this invention is to arrange the sound insulatingenclosure in such a manner so as to permit ready access to therefrigerant liquefying unit.

Another object is to provide a mechanical refrigerator cabinet ofsymmetrical proportions which utilizes one of the unexposed sides forventilation and a partition of the building in which it is located as anaid in dampening the noise of the machinery. y

'fFurth'er objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the folldwing description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein'a preferred form of the present inventionis clearly shown.

' In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top view in cross section of a cabinet embodying features ofmy invention;

Fig'. 2 is a vertical view incross section taken along the line 2--2 ofFig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical view in cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

In practicing this invention- I provide a cabinet of symmetricalproportions, preferably having rectangular outer dimensions in which thefood or cooling compartment is placed in the upper portion of thecabinet for ready accessibility and the machinery compartment is placedbelow, and in which the walls of the cabinet together with a partitionof the building in which it is placed permits the ventilation andcooling of the machinery 50 but prevents the passage of'noises of thema- 1930. serial No. 447,364.

E partment 23. The outer contours of horizontal cross-sections of thesecompartments are preferably substantially equal. The refrigl eratingapparatus vcomprises a mechanical refrigerant liquefying unit designated25. The unit 25 includes a refrigerant circulat-l ing element comprisingcertain arts which in general are moving or soun producing such as anelectric motor 27 and a compressor 28. The motor is adapted to drive thecompressor by means of belt 29.. The compressor is adapted to delivercompressed refrigerant through pipe 31 to an air cooled condenser 32where the refrigerant is liquefied and from which it is deliveredthrough pipe 35 to a receiver 37. From the receiver the refrigerant isdelivered through pipe 39 to a cooling unit 40 disposed within thecooling compartment 22. The refrigerant after being evaporatedisreturned to the compressor 32 through pipe 42. As shown, the com pressorand motor are mounted on a resilient platform 44 which permitsvvibrations without transmitting them to the cabinet.

A unit of the typehereinbefore described is liable to produceobjectionable noises and for this reason I have provided the soundinsulatin enclosure for the moving or sound producing parts of saidunit. This enclosure Y comprises suitable sound deadening walls 50 and5l. The compartment 23 is provided with an opening 54, which may beequal to substantially the entire vertical crosssec` tional extent ofthe compartment 23, for the circulation of air into and out of thecompartment 23. The cabinet 2() is placed adjacent a wall or partition57 of the room or-building in which the refrigerator is placed in such amanner so as to leave a clear opening to the atmosphere.' The cabinetalso includes a hinged or otherwise ready remo-vable door or closuremember 60 for access to the machinery. If desired, the pipes 39 and 42leading from the unit to the cooling unit 4() may be of sufficientlength so as to permit the removal of the unit 25 from the compartment23 through the opening closed by door or meshed wire is closure memberwithout disconnecting said pipes. All of the walls of the compartment23, including the door or closure member 60, may be provided with noiseabsorbing material of the character hereinafter described.

The construction is such that the noises produced by the machinery areabsorbed by the Walls. Thus no noises are reflected from the walls andconsequently only the noises coming directly from the machinery canupass through the opening 54. No noises are reectecI throughtheopening.. Under some conditions the passage of these direct orunreflected noises through the air opening are practically insufficientto render the operation of a machine audible when the air passage isleft entirely open. One of the conditions when this is done is when theair passage is placed in-the rear of the machinery compartment of thecabinet and the compartment is placed near a wall of the room in whichthe compartment is located as hereinbefore described.

The sound insulating walls 50, 51 and the sound insulating door orclosure member 60 is made of any suitable material presenting a surfaceor body adapted to absorb, dampen or prevent the passage of noises. As aspeciiic embodiment, the sound deadening mate rial is a fluffycomminuted or other material presenting a surface or body adapted toabsorb, dampen and prevent the passage'of noise. This material may beapplied in any manner. It may be compressed or com acted, and confinedto any suitable degree eit er before or during application. It may becompressed into a sheet, packet or board like form and may be appliedaround the moving parts of the machinery in any desired manner. In thisparticular embodiment, as shown on walls 50 and 51, the noise deadeningmaterial comprises substantially a Hat packet made by forming a packethaving an exposed face of meshed wire. This packet is substantially slablike.` These packets are made in sizes adapted to cover the Walls 50 and51. Within the packet formed bythe placed the desired noise dampeningmaterial. A convenient construction comprises a Wire packet within whichis l placed any desired fluffy or comminuted material, such as balsamwool, wood shavings, wood pulp or in fact any desired material. Thepackets thus formed are secured to the metal sides of the cabinet in anydesired manner.

The sound insulating material on the door or closure member 60 is madeof any suitable material presenting a surface or body adapted to absorb,dampen or prevent the passage of noises. It is compressed into a sheetor board like form, and in the particular embodiment the material isexploded wood pulp compressed sutciently to be self-sustaining in aboard like form. In order to prevent fibers from flying through themechanism, this board is coated with aluminum base paint. The sounddeadening material may be insertable along the interior of the metalcasing of the door or closure member.

By coating the sound insulating material with aluminum paint, a surfaceis presented which prevents the lint from flying off the soundinsulating material. Any means adapted to prevent the lint from flyingWithout impairing the sound deadening character of the surface may besubstituted. The sur face presented to the sound is of a sound reboundchecking character. Obviously the sound deadening material used on walls50 and 51 may be used on door or closure member 60, likewise the sounddeadening material used on door or closure member 60 may be used onwalls 50 and 51.

In the operation of the device, air freely enters the compartment 23 andcirculates thereinin the dlrection of the arrows shown in Fig. 1. Thusthe air circulates around the compressor .and motor and is discharged bythe fan 75 carried by the 'armature shaft of the motor 27. The a1rdischarged by the fan 75 passes along the finned portions of thecondenser 32 to cool the condenser, whence' the air passes on out intothe atmosphere. It has been found that a distance of from one andone-half inches to five inches between the Wall 57 and the cabinet 21 isa very satisfactory distance. Because of the sound-insulating characterof the walls 50, 51, door or closure member 60 and partition 57, soundsproduced in the enclosure are prevented from passing out into thesurrounding atmosphere. For this reason a very silent mechanicalrefrigerating apparatus is produced. I y

This invention is also a'continuation in part of my copendingapplication for refrigerating apparatus, Serial No. 302,043, filedAugust 25 1928.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within thescope of the claims which follow.

What'is claimed is as follows:

1. A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a food compartment and amachinery compartment, said machinery compartment including a pluralityof sound dampening Walls, a refrigerating system in said refrigeratorcomprislng an evaporatorlin said food compartment, a refrigerantcirculating element connected to said evaporator and 1ocated 1n sa1dmachinery compartment, said circulating element including a compressorand a motor for driving said compressor, one of said walls having anopening for said machinery compartment for the circulation of air intoand out of said machinery compartment, said opening being located in aWall of l said machinery compartment to be placed adjacent apartition'of the building in which the refrigerator is to\be installed,and an imperforate sound dampening closure member on another Wall ofsaid machinery compartment for access to said refrigerant circulatingelement.

2. A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a food compartment and amachinery compartment, said machinery compartment including a pluralityof sound dampening walls, a refrigerating system in said refrigeratorcomprising an evaporator in said food compartment, a refrigerantcirculating elcment connected to said evaporator and located in saidmachinery compartment, said circulat-ing element including a compressorand a motor for driving said compressor, one of said walls having anopening for said machinery compartment for the circulation of air intoand out of said machinery compartment, said opening being located in aWall of said machinery compartment to be placed adjacent a partition ofthe building in which the refrigerator is to be installed, means forcirculating air into and out of said machinery compartment through saidopening, and a sound dampening closure member on another Wall of saidmachinery compartment for access to said refrigerant circulating ele- 3.A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a food compartment and amachinery compartment, said compartments being of substantially the samehorizontal outside dimension with said machinery compartment beingdisposed below said food compartment, said machinery compartmentincluding a plurality of sound dampening Walls, a refrigerating systemin said refrigerator comprising an evaporator in said food compartment`a refrigerant circulating element connected to said evaporator andlocated in said machinery compartment, said circulating elementincluding a compressor and a motor for driving said compressor, one ofsaid walls having an opening for said machinery compartment for thecirculation of airI into and out of said machinery compartment, saidopening being located in a Wall of said machinery compartment to beplaced adjacent a partition of thebuilding in which the refrigerator isto be installed, means for circulating air into and out of saidmachinery compartment through said opening, and a sound dampeningclosure member on another Wall of said machinery compartment for accessto said refrigerant circulating element.

4. A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a food compartment and amachinery compartment, said machinery compartment including a pluralityof sound `dampening walls, a refrigerating system in'said refrigeratorcomprising a cooling unit in said food compartment, a refrigerantcirculating element connected to said cooling unit and located in saidmachinery compartment, said circulating element including a compressorand a motor for drivingl said compressor, one of said walls having anopening for said machinery compartment for the circulation of air intoand out of said machinery compartment, said opening being located in aWall of element in said machinery compartment, said `'refrigerant`circulating element including a compressor and a motorfor driving saidcompressor, one of -said Walls having an opening for said machinerycompartment for the circulation of`air into and out of said machin-- erycompartment, said opening being located in a Wall of said machinerycompartment to be placed adjacent a partition of the building in whichthe refrigerator is to be installed, means for circulating air into andout of said machinery compartment through said opening, and a sounddampening closure member on another Wall of said machinery compartmentfor access to said circulating element.

6. A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a machinery compartment,said machinery compartment including a plurality of sound dampeningWalls, a refrigerant circu- .1'

lating element in said machineryA compartment, said refrigerantcirculating elementA including a compressor and a motor for driving saidcompressor, a rear Wall having an opening for said machinery compartmentfor the circulation of air into and out of said machinery compartment,said rear Wall of said machinery compartment to be placed adjacent apartition v'of the building in which therefrigerator is to beinstalled,` and an imperforate sound dampening closure member on a Wallaway from the rear of said machinery compartment for access to saidcirculat-v ing element.

A noiseless unitary refrigerator comprising a food compartment and amachinery compartment, said machinery compartment including a pluralityof sound dampening Walls, a refrigerating system in said refrigeratorcomprislng an evaporatorin said food compartment, a refrigerantliquefying unit connected to said evaporator and located in saidmachinery compartment, said liquefying unit including a motor drivencompressor, an air cooled condenser and a fan for circulating air intoand out of said machinery compartment, a rear Wall having an opening insaid machinery compartment for the circulation of air into and outthereof by said fan, said rear Wall of said machinery compartment to beplaced adjacent a partition of the building in which the refrigerator isto be installed, and a sound dampening closure member on a Wall awayfrom the rear of said machinery compartment for access to saidliquefying unit.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

HARRY B. HULL.

